This is an example of a method I use.
Trance induction
This is an example of a method I use. The next steps can be followed.
Truisms: State some ‘facts’
Although this is not necessary true, it helps to build rapport with the client.
“All people enjoy trance”
“And I am sure that you will agree with me that it is very good for the body and the mind to relax” (elaborate on this)
Give a short background and description of hypnosis.
The more the client trusts you, the easier trance will happen.
Get revivification anchor
This means that you ask the client to remember a time when they were completely relaxed…… Like when lying on the beach or underneath a big tree, staring at the clouds…..
Make sure that the client experience it again with all 5 senses (anchoring) because it will be ‘fired’ later during the trance.
Get ‘pleasantly surprised’ anchor
Ask client to remember a time when he/she was pleasantly surprised. Remember it all 5 senses. It will also be fired later during the trance.
Eye fixation
Ask client to focus on a spot on the wall, or ceiling so that the eyes are looking up, about 60 to 70 degree angle. This will help that the eyes will close easier because the angle of focusing will tire the eyes naturally.
Conscious / unconscious dissociation
While the client is focusing on the spot on the ceiling, begin to dissociate between the conscious and the unconscious mind.
Because hypnosis is about asking the ‘doorkeeper’ (conscious mind) to ‘move to the side’ and allow the unconscious mind to open up; this is an excellent way to do it.
In the book ‘Training Trances’ by John Overdurf and Julie Silverthorne is a very useful dissociation description on page 64-65. This is a ‘must have’ book on hypnosis for anyone who want to take hypnosis to the next level.
Start talking in a slow deep voice
The bold printed words must be said in a deeper voice, a direct command to the unconscious.
“I really want to speak to your unconscious……. mind….. and before you go into a very relaxed state as you are sitting there in the chair, (name of person) and listening to the music, listening to my voice and focusing on the wall, you can allow yourself to become aware of your inner sensations in your body……..as you just allow yourself to breath slowly in and out and in and out, it means that one can completely relax, and I want you to know that you are completely safe here with me……that’s right…….. completely safe…….and you have so many options how to go into trance, the choice is entirely up to you.
A person doesn’t have to go into trance, just imagine slipping intoa deep, relaxing trancelike state…….easily and silently……that’s right…….
And you hear you are here for a reason, you hear you are here for change and growth, …. (unconsciously) you are here to learn……..and that means you can go deep inside now …… haven’t you?….already start making the change now…..
And I know that you are learning and growing, changing, unconsciously ….now…….it’s a good thing to change because if changing means growth then you are growing change all the time deep inside as I speak to you as a very deeply relaxed and changing person, don’t you?
That’s right…….and a person may not know how you’re unconscious will signal that it is already making these changes….. and a person have many valuable skills and resources available to you from you’re unconscious ……..mind available to you at a moment’s notice and who I am to know when that moment is …..now…..that you can learn to use unconsciously in various creative combinations to produce new understandings and abilities that can stay with you here (hear)now, really listen here, for the rest of your life…….can’t you…..that’s right……..and don’t go 4 into a trance to quickly…..and we wouldn’t want it to happen to quickly…..would we?
And Milton Erikson said that people who sit in a chair like you are sitting right now goes into trance easily and effortlessly……that’s right……and while your unconscious…….. mind might be thinking how to go into a deep relaxing state or your conscious mind can think about the anything else…… while your unconscious mind knows and has all the answers, your unconscious mind is the storehouse of all your memories, your unconscious mind is your sleeping and dreaming mind, your unconscious mind has all the resources you want……that’s right….and you know that, don’t you……?
And we all get to experience trance in our own unique way…..who am I to say do it this way or that way……you can do it in whatever way you want to go into a deep relaxing and peaceful state of complete relaxation…….and don’t do it too quickly, take your time and relax going deeper at your own pace and you know what pace you can go into trance, can’t you?
And just imagine how one would feel when……you can begin to realize you are relaxing more and more now…….and asking yourself the question: How will I know when I am in trance?
Eventually one can find you own way to slip into a very relaxing trance state…..can’t you?…….
And speaking to you as a very relaxed person you know now……. people who allow themselves to go into a complete relaxed state, slow their breathing, that’s right…..and they might blink their eyes…..that’s right……and may be swallow……it is all signs that indicate you are letting yourself relax and letting go….
And you can just continue relaxing……..relaxing and letting go….let your whole body just go loose and limp like a rag 5 doll…….let your whole body become as heavy as lead…..your arms can just become so heavy that it is too difficult to move them….as heavy as lead………impossible to move I don’t really know but people say there a lot of ways to relax even more completely…….and I don’t know exactly how you want relax even more……and there are a lot of ways one can go into trance…. You can choose any way you want……
And I am wondering if you have become aware of the heaviness in your eyelids…..almost if they want to close….. all by themselves….
- If the client’s eyes are already closed by now, skip the two paragraphs about closing the eyes.
I won’t say it but experts say that people who close their eyes relax more completely… And you can allow yourself to close your eyes now…..all by themselves…….if you want……or not…..
Before you let go completely, and go into a deep hypnotic state, just let yourself listen carefully to everything I say to you…….
It’s going to happen automatically…….so you do not need to think about that now………
You don’t have to make any conscious effort at all…….you don’t even have to listen to my voice……because your unconscious mind will hear it clearly…….” you don’t even have to listen to my words… you can listen to the pauses and the spaces between them… maybe you can anticipate the spaces… maybe you can measure them… maybe you can just drift into them… unconsciously” That’s right…….
6 The muscles in your whole body can relax all by themselves as you continue breathing ……. Easily and freely……that’s right…….as your body become heavier and heavier…..
Without thinking about it you may soon enter a deep, peaceful hypnotic trance, without any effort…….there is nothing important for your conscious mind to do……..
You will be able to talk and answer all my questions even when you are entering in deep trance……
There is nothing really important except the activities of your unconscious mind…….and that can be just as automatic as dreaming……and you know how easily you can slip into a deep dreaming state……….
You are responding very good……you are a good hypnotic subject……
And without noticing you have already changed your rate of breathing…….you are breathing much more easily and freely…..and that means you are beginning to drift off now into a hypnotic trance……..
Just like when ..(fire revivification anchor)
And you can just really enjoy relaxing more and more…….and your unconscious mind is listening to every word I say…….and it keeps becoming less important for you to consciously listen to my voice
And your unconscious mind can hear……even if I whisper…… say this sentence in very soft whispery voice)
7 And you are just continuing to drift off into a more detached state
That’s right…..that’s right……
And as you continue to drift off into a more detached state and let go completely the deepest levels of your mind is slowly opening up…at your own pace……just as rapidly as it feels you are ready, it’s entirely up to you now as you LET GO…….
And you are continuing to become more relaxed and comfortable as you sit there with your eyes closed………
And your inner mind can respond automatically to everything I tell you………and you know how things can just happen automatically don’t you?…… and you will be pleasantly surprised with your continuous progress……..,going deeper and deeper…
You are getting much closer to a deep hypnotic trance…..and you are beginning to realize that you don’t care whether or not you are going into a deep hypnotic trance…….opening up the deepest levels of your unconscious mind…….and that means you can get all the resources you want to go deeper and make the change and find your inner power ……and you know what it is you want to change and transform, aren’t you?……..that’s right……
And just like when you are sleeping and dreaming you can move and shift your body and change position because that means you are enjoying the trance state and that means you can allow yourself to relax even more deeply…..even more deeply …….that’s right……
And just like when you are sleeping and dreaming you can drift in and out of the dreaming state, and every time you drift back to the dreaming state you can go deeper and deeper into relaxation….
8 Find your inner resources…..
And isn’t it nice to experience that being hypnotized can be such a
very enjoyable , very pleasant and calm experience, very relaxing experience…..
- Deepening
And in a moment I will help you to relax more completely.
- Use a deepening technique (if necessary)
Depending on the level of trance you want the client to go, a deepener can be used. This might vary from client to client. Some will already be in a deep state of trance. For the clients who take a longer time to enter trance, a deepener can be used.
- See section ‘Deepening techniques’ and choose anyone from the list.
- The next paragraph where ‘ideomotor’ signals are asked is not compulsory but very helpful. This can be very convincing for a client when they get these signals fro their unconscious mind.
“And as your unconscious mind is listening now and your unconscious mind is willing to help you to make changes you want to make……I want to ask your unconscious mind to give you a clear and honest conscious signal by any body movement, a head nod, finger lifting, or any other way your unconscious wish to communicate consciously with us, to show you consciously that it is willing to communicate with you ……….and to help you………. (Wait for signal and thank the unconscious mind).
9 Can we use this signal for a ‘Yes’ signal? You should get the same signal again.
I also ask your unconscious mind for a clear and honest opposing signal for NO. Give us a conscious honest signal for NO. (Wait for signal and thank the unconscious mind)
- Form some clients this make up to three minutes to get the signal. Keep calm and relaxed. If there is no signal which you can see, ask the client if they are aware of any signal which you have not seen. Any sensation in a body part? A feeling?
Now, I want to suggest to your unconscious mind that it can always communicate to you in this way, by giving you yes and no signals. Does your unconscious mind understand this? (Wait for signal again)
As the client are in trance now, the rest of the session can follow.
This can be an NLP technique, Time line therapy, or just giving specific suggestions.
- Induce Amnesia
If you know that the client has a very active or even over active conscious mind it can be useful to induce Amnesia. Simply say things like :
“And you know how easily you can sometimes forget a name, or where you have put your keys, or what you had for lunch two day days ago, there are so many things which you can forget, just like you can consciously forget everything now about this session, just forget, it is okay, that’s right, while your unconscious mind can integrate all the new learning and your unconscious mind can help you to reach your outcome.
10 For a in depth description for how to Induce Amnesia see pp. 155 and 156 in Training Trances
- Bring out of trance
This is usually done by counting. If the deepening technique was counting from 10 to 1, then the counting will now be from 1 to 10 and say things like:
On each count from 1 to 10 you can become aware of the room and at 10 you will be back in the room, opening your eyes and feel refreshed and energized.
Begin counting 1, 2, slowly come back, 3, feel the chair you are sitting on, 4, becoming aware of the room, my voice…
…and continue till number 10.